Apparatus for cooling beverages



Jan. 14,1941. M, P, BELLY Em 2,228,848

APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES Filed Aug. 26, 1939 3 Shasta-Sheet 1 IINVENTOR. 1 1 011150 EZZENZE May/9'51. EFEJLL Y 9 I MATTORNEY.

Jan. 14, 1941. M. P. REILLY ETAL APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES FiledAug. 26, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VENTOR. .5 551x125]? FUMEU MCHHEL 1REILLY @JM ATTORNEY.

Jan. 14, 1941. M. P. REILLY ETAL APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 26, 1939 INVENTOR. FUMEU 5129A! ZEH BY[511551; 1 5122 Y KM ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 14, 1941 2,228,848 APPARATUS FOR COOLING BEVERAGES MichaelP. Reilly, shorewood, and Romeo S.

- Denzer, La Crosse, Wis.

Application August 26, 1939, Serial No. 292,050

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to an apparatus for cooling beverages and moreparticularly to a cabinet construction in which beverages containingdissolved gases, such as'beer, may be stored, cooled, maintained in suchcooled state and dispensed I in the usual manner.

The efilciency of cabinets heretofore proposed has been materiallyimpaired because of improper and ineflicient insulation and because of1c multiplicity of joints or seams in such cabinets, which permittedlarge losses of refrigerated air, Accordingly, it is an object of ourinvention to provide a simple, sturdy and efllclent construction,properly insulated, in which a minimum of joints or seams are utilized.Another object of our 2. construction so designed'that while it is'acompact self-contained unit, it affords ample space within which any ofthe standard con-- tainers for such beverages, whether they are providedfor'sideor-center V centered so as to be reached with the dispensing taprod and faucet combination.

A further object of our invention resides in a cabinet so constructedthat a gravity flow of cooled air at all times surrounds the beveragecontainer stored within the cabinet of our invention. 4

In addition, our invention aflords a readily accessible cabinet openingfor the replenishing of the coolerant, work space otherwise notavailable, and a unit usable with bars with which taverns are usuallyequipped, without disarrangement or cutting of the bar. With these andother objects in view, this invention may consist of certainnovelfeatures of construction which willbe best understood from the followingdescription, read in light of the accompanying drawings, illustratingspecific emcuts ofour invention, and in which like numerals indicatelike parts.

-It is to be understood that our invention is not to be limited by theexact embodiments of the device shown, which are merely. by way ofillustration and not limitation, as various other forms of the devicemay be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation with parts broken w y;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of one of the compartments of the cabinetembodying our invention, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 Figure 4 is aview on the line 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is 'a detail of .thepartition of the coolerant compartment; 50 Figure 6 is a view on theline B -B of Figure 1;

invention is to provide tapping can-easily be I or refrigeratecompartment of the and the insert l8 are entirely 1 OFFICE wFigure 11 isa of the manner of Figure 12 is a section showing a modification icingthe cabinet; detail of the crows foot.

but

discharge vent 21 of the cabinet through the drain I9, the trough 20 andits complementary -'drain 22. In addition, with the colander Il andinsert l8 removed, cubed ice can be inserted through the port l8 intothe ice cabinet. This manner of keeping the cabinet iced is used whenthe bar under which the cabinet of our invention is placed is of aheight sufficient to provide ample clearance between the underside ofthe bar and the top wall of the cabinet.

When such space is not available and cutting of the bar wouldconsequently result, the modification of Figure 11 is employed. ,In thismodification, the rectangularopening [6, the colander I1 I eliminatedandin their place and stead the back drop or; sp1ash board of the ofisetportion of the top wall l5 has an opening it normally closed with theclosure member 11', which while securely .fheld by the spring-clip I8,is manually removable as and when it becomes desirableto At the forwardend of the top wall, adjacent the offset portion thereof, suitableopenings for the usual direct draw tap rod 23 and faucet 24 areavailable. Medial of the back drop of the offset portion of the top walll5, an opening for a water tap 25 is provided. In some instances it maybe desirable to have the water tap opening located at either end of thecabinet, rather than medially off the back drop of the offset portion ofthe top wall l5, or at the forward edge of the top wall l adjacent itsoffset portion. It is to be understood that such arrangements areselective. The offset top wall is provided with a countersunk drip pan26, sloped to its medial section, at which point a drain 2! is arranged,which extends through the wall of the offset portion and also dischargesinto the trough 20. While the full lines of Figure 2 show the drip pan26 of one piece construction, extending substantially along the lengthof the offset portion of the top wall, it is to be understood that thedrip pan may comprise two separate sections 26', as shown in the dottedlines of Figure 2. The drip pans 26 or 26' may be .made integral withthat section of the offset portion of the top wall I5 by which they aresupported, and in such a construction the entire section would be maderemovable so as to facilitate the centering and tapping of the beveragecontainers. As shown in Figures and 11, the side and end walls at theirtop edges are raised and curled to facilitate removal as the needarises. In addition, the pitch of the drip pans and the location of thedrain 2'! is such that accumulation of slop" is drained quickly, thuseliminating a decidedly unsightly and unsanitary conditon that haheretofore exsted. The back drop of the offset porton of the top wall isof a depth sufficient to give ample clearance between the drip pan 26 or26 and the spout of the faucets 24 and the water tap 25 for the usualglasses into which beverages stored in the cabinet or water isdispensed.

Hinged insulated doors 28 of a size large enough to permit movement intoand out of the cabinet interior of beverage half barrels are provided inthe front wall I I. There is, at the present time, both wooden and steelhalf barrels being used as beverage containers. Barrels of theseparticular classifications vary in overall height and in addition mayprovide for side tapping as is best illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, asat 23, or have center tapping as at 30. It is, therefore, of materialimportance that sufficient internal cabinet space be provided toaccommodate alignment of the beverage keg, regardless of whether itutilizes a side or center tap with the tap rod, as well as provision ofsuflicient internal height to accommodate either type of the twoprevailent present day kegs.

The partition 3|. of Figure 5, comprising a foraminous lower section 32,suitably secured to a curved drawn upper section 33, corrugated for apurpose which will hereafter fully appear, is of such form that when itis suitably secured to the inner wall of the back drop of the offsetportion of the top wall 15, as at 34, assumes the position best shown inFigure 3. In this position, the partition 3| is spaced from but adjacentto the inner face of the rear wall l2.

Ice, placed in the cabinet through the port I! or the opening [6, as thecase may be, first contacts the corrugated upper portion 33 of thepartition 3| along which it slides to rest on the inner face of thebottom wall of the 'cabinet 14, being held in position by the foraminousportion 32 of the partition. The retention of the ice is bestshown inFigures 3 and 4.

Adjacent the edge of the partition, in contact with the bottom wall i4,is a bumper 35, which prevents the beverage container from crushing orbending out of shape the lower portion of the partition as the containeris placed in the cabinet. To facilitate the movement of the beveragecontainers into and out of the cabinet, skids 35 are provided.

Openings 31, properly spaced, complement the openings provided in thetop wall of the cabinet for the tap rod'23 and its faucet 24. Theparticular form of the partition 3| assures a continued gravity flow ofcooled air within the cabinet, since as warm air seeks the higher leversit comes in contact with the cubed ice held by the partition 3|, iscooled and drops to the bottom of the cabinet. This circulatory flow isindicated by the arrows shown in Figure 3.

The corrugations of the section 33 of the partition 3| afford a greatercontact area for the warm air in its upward movement and provide asurface along which the cubed ice can be easily slid in filling thecabinet. Should forced air draft be a desirable feature in cabinets oflarger capacities, a suitable fan can be easily secured to the innerperiphery of the top wall l5 and its air current directed through thecooing medium of the cabinet.

Loosely fitted around the lower end of the drain 22, located asaforesaid, is a float member 38 which, as water forms from the meltingice, assures drainage thereof through the vent 2|, so that a relativelydry bottom cabinet is had under all operating conditions.

To assure a means of readily cooling the water drawn through the faucet25, the water line 39 is coiled as at 40, within the open top coil box4!, supported on brackets 42 secured to the portion. 33 of the partition3|. Such water as forms from ice melting is caught and retained by thebox 4! so that the water line coils are partially if not whollysubmerged, and subjected to the conse quent cooling effect of the icedwater bath.

The insulation and seam construction of our cabinet is best shown inFigures 6, 7, 8 and 9. In Figure 6, a view through the front wall of thecabinet proper and the top of the door 28, it is to be noted that theinsulation material 43 is laid directly against the wood beam 44 and thecabinet lining and facing, 45 and 45 respectively, is formed onlypartially around the beam 44, leaving the gap 41. To seal this gap,Bakelite or Stripllite 48, suitably secured directly to the beam 44, isused. While the door section has its metal facing 49 and inner lining 50formed contiguously, the door contact with the Bakelite 48 isadditionally sealed against temperature transmission by the use of atubular rubber strip 52 laid the length of the doors overlapped edges.

The section of Figure 7 illustrates a like insulation and seamconstruction of the hinged edge of the door 23 and the beam 54 to whichit is hinged.

In Figure 8, the central mullion 55 of the cabinet has both of its sidefacings 56 broken at 51 and 58 respectively, with the breaks sealed bythe Bakelite strips 59. While not shown, it is to be understood that theoverlapped door edges, coacting with the Bakelite strips 59, haveaffixed thereto a tubular rubber strip similar to the strip 52.

In Figure 9, the cabinet facing break of the door jamb 60 is likewisecarried into effect. The

breaking of the cabinet facing and lining as shown, together with thesealing of th breaks or gaps by a non-conductive material such asBakelite and the use of another non-conductive material on theoverlapped edge portions of the doors of the cabinets, efiectivelyreducesto a minimum transmission of room heat to the interior of thecabinet or 'difiusion of the cooled air of the cabinet outwardly fromits interior through the seams or joints of, the cabinet, and alsoprevents the usual condensation present where cooled or cold metal isplaced in a room with warmer l atmospheric conditions prevalent.

In addition, the insulation material used in-the cabinet is, in crosssectional area, in such ratio to the metal facing of the cabinet thattransmission of heat or cold through the wall sections of the cabinet isefiectively guarded against.

Rubber gourmets 6|, which fit snugly around the upper enlarged sectionof the tap rod 23, are of such size as to tightly seal the tap'rodopenings in the top wall l5 and thus the loss of any cooled cabinet air,or the admission of warm air through these openings, is prevented.

A crows foot 62 of a size that suitably fits into the tap rod opening inthe top wall I5 has a port 83 through which the tap rod 23 is pressedand held centered. The particular design of the crows foot permits theinfiltration of air through the openings 84 of the crows foot, into thespace immediately surrounding the upper part of the tap rod, when thetap rod is of a construction that has an enlarged insulated shell,housing its upperadapted to hold a beverage container, an opening insaid cabinet through which a beverage container may be moved into or outof said interior space, removable skids in the bottom of said space tofacilitate said container movement, an insulated closure member for saidopening, means for dispensing the beverage of said container fromsaidcontainer and cabinet, a partition comprising a foraminous lowersection and a drawn corrugated upper section integral with each othersecured adjacent a vertical wall of said cabinet in a substantiallyupright position and extending over said container space and defining asecond space reserved for coolerant, a bumper secured laterally adjacentthe lower edge of said foraminous lower section, a second opening insaid cabinet through which coolerant may be placed in said secondmentioned space, an insulated closure member for said second mentioned'opening, and cooling media housed within said second mentioned space,whereby as warm air rises from the interior of said cabinet the same iscooled and returnedto the bottom of said cabinet.

2. In a cabinet of the character described, insulated front, side, rear,bottom and top walls, said top wall having an oil'set portionintermediate the front and rear walls, interiorspace adapted to hold abeverage container, an opening in said cabinet through which a beveragecontainer may be moved into or out of said interior space, an insulatedclosure member for said opening, a partition comprising a foraminouslower section and a drawn corrugated upper section integral with eachother secured adjacent a vertical wall of said cabinet in substantiallyupright position and extending over said container space and defining asecond space reserved for coolerant, an opening in the vertical sectionof said top wall offset portion coacting with the upper corrugatedsection of said partition, whereby said second mentioned space may befilled with coolerant, a closure member for said second mentionedopening, and means fordispensing the beverage of said container fromsaid container and cabinet extending from the container through saidpartition and top wall adjacent the offset section thereof.

3. In a cabinetconstruction comprising front, side, bottom, rear and'topwalls having an inner metal lining and an outer metal facing withinsulation between said lining and facing and horizontal and verticalbeams spaced at predetermined points in said walls, breaks in the liningand facing of said wallsat certain of said beams, said breaks beingsealed with material impervious to temperature transmission, an interiorspace adapted to hold a beverage container, an opening in said cabinetthrough which a beverage container may be moved into or out of saidinterior space, an insulated closure member for said opening, apartition comprising a foraminous lower section and a drawn corrugatedupper section integral with each other sRured adjacent a vertical wall'of said cabinet in substantially upright position and extending oversaid container space and defining a second space reserved for coolerant,a second opening in said cabinet coacting with the upper corrugatedsection of said partition whereby said second mentioned space may befilled with coolerant, a closure member for said second mentionedopening, means for dispensing the beverage of said container from saidcontainer and cabinet, and a port in the bottom wall of said cabinetthrough which such liquid.

as is formed by the coolerant may drain.

4. In a cabinet of the character described, comprising insulated front,side, rear, bottom and top walls, an opening in said cabinet throughwhich a beverage container may be moved into or out of said interiorspace, an insulated closure member for said opening, a partition securedadjacent a vertical wall of said cabinet defining a second spacereserved for coolerant, a second opening in said cabinet through whichcoolerant may be placed in said second mentioned space, an insulatedclosure member for said second mentioned opening, a beverage line andfaucet for dispensing the beverage of saidcontainer from said containerand cabinet, and a removable drip pan positioned beneath said faucetwhereby with said pan removed the centering of a beverage containerwlthin the space reserved therefor may be facilitated.

MICHAEL P. REILLY. ROMEO S. DENZER.

